Method of making decorative panels

ABSTRACT

In a method of making decorative panels, a liquid masking material is applied to a surface of a panel, and is cured to form a substantially solid masking layer on the surface. A pattern comprising at least one unmasked area and at least one masked area is formed in the masking layer either simultaneously with the application of the liquid masking material or subsequent to the curing step. The surface of the panel is then treated to render the unmasked areas of the surface of the panel visually distinguishable from the masked areas. In one embodiment of the invention the masking layer is elastomeric and the surface of the panel is treated by sandblasting, after which the masking layer is removed. The entire process may then be repeated to provide a dual density effect. In another embodiment of the invention an asphaltum masking layer is applied to a mirror forming layer on a panel, after which the portions of the mirror forming layer corresponding to the unmasked areas are chemically removed.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 677,363, filed Apr. 15th,1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,754, patented June 6, 1978.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of making decorative panels, and moreparticularly to a method of making large glass or plastic panels havingthe appearance of etched glass panels.

At the present time many restaurants, taverns, and similarestablishments are decorated in antique or period motifs. Such a decortypically involves the use of antique or antique-type bars, back bars,ceiling panels, furniture, signs and other wall hangings of varioustypes, etc. In many instances transparent or mirrored panels having theappearance of etched glass panels are employed, either in a purelydecorative mode or in a functional mode, for example as room dividers orthe like.

Since there is obviously an insufficient supply of authentic antiqueetched glass panels to fulfill current requirements, a need exists forthe manufacture of new transparent and mirrored panels having theappearance of antique etched glass panels. It will be understood that itis still possible to make panels of this type by means of the prior arttechnique of etching glass surfaces with hydroflouric acid. However, theprior art technique is both time consuming and exacting, with the resultbeing that panels produced in accordance with the prior art techniqueare prohibitively costly.

The present invention comprises a method of making decorative panelswhich overcome the foregoing and other difficulties long sinceassociated with the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects ofthe invention, a liquid masking material is applied to a surface of apanel and is cured to form a substantially solid masking layer. Eithersimultaneously with the application of the liquid masking material orsubsequent to the curing step, a pattern comprising at least oneunmasked area and at least one masked area is formed in the maskinglayer. Subsequently the surface of the panel having the masking layerthereon is treated, whereby the unmasked areas of the surface of thepanel are rendered visually distinguishable from the masked areas. Inthis manner both transparent and mirrored panels having the appearanceof etched glass panels may be economically manufactured.

In accordance with more specific aspects of the invention, glass orplastic panels which may be either transparent or mirrored arefabricated utilizing an elastomeric masking material. The pattern may beformed in the elastomeric masking material simultaneously with theapplication of the liquid elastomeric masking material, such as byapplying the material through a screen. Alternatively, the pattern maybe formed in the elastomeric masking material after the material hasbeen applied and cured, such as by mechanically removing portions of thecured elastomeric masking layer.

In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, the unmasked areasof the surface of the panel are rendered visually distinguishable byimpinging a high velocity stream of particulate material onto thesurface of the panel having the masking layer thereon. Both the velocityof the stream and the duration of the application of the stream to thesurface of the panel may be controlled to regulate the degree to whichthe unmasked areas are rendered visually distinguishable. The maskinglayer is then removed to provide a panel on which the previouslyunmasked areas have an etched appearance and the previously masked areashave a non-etched appearance. The entire procedure may be repeatedutilizing a different pattern to provide a dual density visual effect onthe surface of the panel.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, mirrored plasticpanels may be fabricated utilizing an asphaltum masking material. Theliquid asphaltum masking material is applied to a mirror forming layeron the panel, and the pattern in the adhesive layer may be formedsimultaneously with the application thereof to the panel, such as byapplying the material through a screen. Alternatively, the pattern maybe formed after the asphaltum masking material has been applied to thepanel and cured, such as by mechanically removing portions of themasking layer.

The portions of the mirror forming layer on the panel corresponding tothe unmasked areas are subsequently removed by chemically dissolving themirror forming layer utilizing an etching material. The mirror forminglayer, the asphaltum masking material and the etching material are thensprayed with silver paint. By this means there is provided a mirroredplastic panel having the appearance of an etched or frosted glassmirror.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referenceto the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of making decorative panelscomprising a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are illustrations of various steps in the methodcomprising a first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a method of making decorative panelscomprising a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are illustrations of decorative panels made in accordancewith the method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the Drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, amethod of making decorative panels incorporating the invention isillustrated. FIG. 1 illustrates a method of making decorative panelsincorporating a first embodiment of the invention. In accordance withthe first embodiment, a rubber masking material is employed. As usedherein the term rubber includes various elastomeric materials includingmaterials not strictly definable as rubber.

The first step in the practice of the method comprising the firstembodiment of the invention involves preparing the rubber maskingmaterial. The rubber masking material is preferably of the type sold byDow Corning Corporation under the trademark "SILASTIC", it beingunderstood that similar materials sold by other manufacturers underother trademarks may also be employed in the practice of the invention.The preparation of the rubber masking material is in accordance with themanufacturer's directions, and typically involves the mixing of apolymerizing agent or initiator with a quantity of unpolymerizedelastomeric material. The mixing ratios for the two materials and themixing time that is necessary in order to form the two materials intothe rubber masking material depend on the particular type of materialthat is utilized.

After the rubber masking material has been prepared it is applied to asurface of a sheet of glass or plastic material. Sheets formed fromvarious types of glass may be utilized in the practice of the invention.Likewise, sheets formed from various types of plastic may be utilized inthe practice of the invention. One type of plastic material which hasbeen successfully utilized in the practice of the invention comprises amaterial sold by Rohn & Haas Co. under the trademark "PLEXIGLASS". Theinvention may be practiced utilizing glass or plastic sheets which areeither mirrored or transparent, in accordance with particularrequirements.

The rubber masking material is preferably applied to the surface of theglass or plastic sheet in accordance with a predetermined pattern. Insuch instances the predetermined pattern is formed in a screen prior tothe preparation of the rubber masking material. The screen may be of thetype that is utilized in the printing industry for silk screen-typeprinting, it being understood that the mesh size of the screen must beselected to allow the rubber masking material to flow therethrough.

The screens that are utilized in the practice of the present inventionmay be prepared in the same manner that screens are prepared for silkscreen-type printing. Thus, the screen may be covered with aphotosensitive emulsion which is subsequently exposed photographically.Thereafter the exposed emulsion is developed. In this manner the screenis divided into portions which will allow the rubber masking material toflow therethrough and portions which will prevent the rubber maskingmaterial from flowing therethrough.

In the practice of the invention, the thus prepared screen is positionedimmediately adjacent the surface of the sheet that is to receive therubber masking material. The rubber masking material is then applied tothe screen, and a squeegee or similar tool is utilized to force therubber masking material through the appropriate areas of the screen. Inthis manner the rubber masking material is applied to the surface of thesheet in accordance with the predetermined pattern.

In accordance with a variation of the first embodiment of the invention,the rubber masking material is applied uniformly across the entiresurface of the glass or plastic sheet. After the rubber masking materialhas set, the predetermined pattern is established in the rubber maskingmaterial by removing selected portions of the rubber masking materialfrom the surface of the sheet. For example, a knife or similar tool maybe utilized to separate selected portions of the layer of rubber maskingmaterial from the remainder of the layer, whereupon the selectedportions may be peeled off of the surface of the glass or plastic sheet.

The rubber masking material requires about six hours to cure or set.Upon curing, the rubber masking material forms into a substantiallysolid rubber masking layer which is adhered to the surface of the glassor plastic sheet. In this manner the surface of the glass or plasticsheet is separated into at least one masked and at least one unmaskedarea, such areas being in accordance with the predetermined pattern. Themasked and unmasked areas are subsequently rendered visuallydistinguishable.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the masked andunmasked areas on the surface of the glass or plastic sheet are renderedvisually distinguishable by means of sandblasting. As used herein theterm sandblasting means impinging on the surface of the glass or plasticsheet having the rubber masking layer thereon a high velocity stream ofparticulate material, including materials not strictly definable assand. The various parameters of the sandblasting step, including theselection of the particulate material employed, the velocity of theparticulate stream, the separation between the particulate materialstream discharge orifice and the surface of the sheet, and the length ofthe time during which the particulate stream is impinged on the surfaceof the glass or plastic sheet, depend on the nature of the glass orplastic sheet and on the extent to which it is desired to render themasked and unmasked areas of the surface of the sheet visuallydistinguishable one from the other. By way of example, the time durationduring which the stream of particulate material is impinged on thesurface of the sheet may be about one quarter (1/4) hour per 24 squarefeet of sheet surface area.

Following the sandblasting step, the substantially solid rubber maskinglayer is removed from the surface of the glass or plastic sheet. Thismay be accomplished by simply peeling the rubber masking layer away fromthe surface. Preferably, however, a high velocity stream of water or thelike is employed to remove the rubber masking layer from the surface ofthe sheet. Following the rubber masking layer removal step the glass orplastic sheet is dried, whereupon the sheet is completed and is readyfor installation.

An important aspect of the invention comprises the fact that theforegoing steps of applying the rubber masking material in accordancewith a predetermined pattern, curing the rubber masking material to forma rubber masking layer, sandblasting the surface having the rubbermasking layer thereon, and subsequently removing the rubber maskinglayer may be repeated in order to form a dual density visual image onthe surface of the glass or plastic sheet. Typically, the secondapplication of the rubber masking material is in accordance with adifferent pattern than the first application. In this manner the surfaceof the sheet may be divided into areas that have not been sandblasted atall, areas that have been more lightly sandblasted, and areas that havebeen more heavily sandblasted. Further gradations of the sandblastingeffect may be achieved by continued repetition of the several stepscomprising the first embodiment of the invention.

The first embodiment of the invention is further illustrated in FIGS. 2,3, 4 and 5. A frame 10 is hingedly supported on a table 12. A screen 14having a predetermined pattern formed therein by conventional techniquesis mounted in the frame 10. A counterbalance system 15 is utilized tofacilitate raising and lowering the frame 10 and the screen 14 carriedthereby.

The frame 10 is initially raised and a glass or plastic sheet ispositioned under the screen 14. Locating structure may be employed toprecisely position the glass or plastic sheet relative to the pattern onthe screen 14. Thereafter the frame 10 is lowered and a quantity ofrubber masking material 16 is deposited on the screen 14. A squeeqee 18is then employed to force the rubber masking material through theappropriate areas of the screen 14 onto the adjacent surface of theglass or plastic sheet. The squeegee 18 is supported by structure 20 formovement along the table 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow 22.Referring to FIG. 3, the foregoing steps are utilized to apply therubber masking material to the surface of the glass or plastic sheet inaccordance with a predetermined pattern. FIG. 3 illustrates a glass orplastic sheet 24 having a layer of rubber masking material 26 formedthereon in accordance with the pattern of the screen 14 as illustratedin FIG. 2. After the rubber masking material has been applied to thesurface of the glass or plastic sheet the screen 14 is raised and theglass or plastic sheet is removed from the table 12. The rubber maskingmaterial on the glass or plastic sheet is thereafter allowed to curethereby forming a substantially solid rubber masking layer correspondingto the predetermined pattern on the surface of the sheet.

Referring to FIG. 4, after the layer of rubber masking material on thesurface of the glass or plastic sheet has cured, the surface of theglass or plastic sheet having the rubber masking material thereon issandblasted. A conduit 28 extends from a source of high velocity airhaving particulate material entrained therein. The conduit 28 extends toa discharge nozzle 30 positioned over a table 32 having a glass orplastic sheet 34 positioned thereon. The nozzle 30 is positioned apredetermined distance from the surface of the glass or plastic sheet 34having the rubber masking material thereon, whereby the nozzle 30functions to impinge a high velocity stream of particulate material onthe surface of the sheet 34. A mechanism 36 is utilized to oscillate thenozzle 30 about a vertical axis in the direction indicated by the arrow38, and the table 32 is simultaneously employed to rotate the sheet 34about a vertical axis in the direction indicated by the arrow 40. Inthis manner the high velocity stream of particulate material flowingfrom the nozzle 30 is applied uniformly to the entire surface of thesheet 34.

Following the sandblasting step the rubber masking layer is removed fromthe surface of the glass or plastic sheet. As is illustrated in FIG. 5,this is preferably accomplished utilizing a high velocity water streamemanating from a nozzle 42. Such a water stream is effective to quicklyand efficiently remove the rubber masking layer from the surface of theglass or plastic sheet. It will be understood that other techniques forremoving the rubber masking layer may also be utilized in the practiceof the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a panel 44 made in accordance with the method ofmaking decorative panels comprising the present invention. Panels madein accordance with the invention have the appearance of etched glasspanels, but are considerably more economical to manufacture than arepanels made in accordance with prior art glass etching techniques. FIG.8 illustrates a panel 46 similar to the panel 44 but having a dualdensity visual effect. As has been described hereinabove, such a dualdensity visual effect may be accomplished by applying a second layer ofrubber masking material, curing the second rubber masking layer, andresandblasting the surface of the glass or plastic panel having therubber masking layer thereon.

FIG. 8 illustrates a method of forming decorative panels incorporating asecond embodiment of the invention. The method of forming decorativepanels comprising the second embodiment of the invention is applicableto sheets of plastic material having mirror forming layers thereon. Forexample, the type of plastic material sold by Rohm & Haas Co. under thetrademark "PLEXIGLASS" is commercially available having a mirror forminglayer applied to one surface thereof.

In accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, a layer ofasphaltum masking material is applied to the surface of the mirrorforming layer on the sheet of plastic material. Preferably, theasphaltum masking layer is applied to the surface of the mirror forminglayer in accordance with a predetermined pattern. This may beaccomplished by applying the asphaltum masking material to the surfaceof the mirror forming layer through a screen having the predeterminedpattern formed therein. Such a screen may be prepared utilizingtechniques which are identical to those utilized to form screens forsilk screen-type printing.

In accordance with a variation of the second embodiment of theinvention, a layer of asphaltum masking material is applied uniformlyacross the surface of the mirror forming layer on the plastic sheet andis cured. Portions of the asphaltum masking layer are subsequentlyremoved from the surface of the mirror forming layer in order to formthe predetermined pattern therein. For example, portions of theasphaltum masking layer may be removed utilizing a knife or similartool.

After the asphaltum masking material has been applied to the surface ofthe mirror forming layer on the plastic sheet it is allowed to cure. Thelength of time that is required in order to cure the asphaltum maskingmaterial depends on the thickness of the asphaltum masking layer and thenature of the particular asphaltum material that is employed. Typicallyabout two hours is required in order to cure the asphaltum maskingmaterial in air at room temperature. Upon curing, the asphaltum maskingmaterial forms a solid asphaltum masking layer on the surface of themirror forming layer on the plastic sheet which differentiates themirror forming layer into at least one masked and at least one unmaskedarea. The masked and unmasked areas are in accordance with thepredetermined pattern.

The next step in the second embodiment of the invention comprisesrendering the masked and unmasked areas of the mirror forming layer onthe plastic sheet visually distinguishable one from the other. This isaccomplished by an application of etching material, whereby the mirrorforming layer in the unmasked areas is removed from the surface of theplastic sheet. Although various etching materials may be employed, ithas been found that sodium hydroxide may advantageously be employed asan etching material. Following the etching step, the sheet of plasticmaterial having the mirror forming layer thereon is sprayed with silverpaint so that the paint covers at least the etched areas and the etchingmaterial. At this point the sheet is completed, and may then beinstalled.

An important aspect in the second embodiment of the invention involvesthe fact that the asphaltum masking material is adapted to be applied tothe mirror forming layer in accordance with a very high degree ofresolution. This permits the use of the second embodiment of theinvention to form very high resolution visual effects, such as halftoning, and the like.

The use of the second embodiment of the invention forms a plastic panelhaving mirrored and transparent areas in accordance with thepredetermined pattern. In this manner decorative panels similar inappearance to etched or frosted glass mirrored panels are formed.However, by means of the second embodiment of the invention such panelsare formed considerably more economically than is possible in accordancewith prior art techniques.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the present inventioncomprises a method of making decorative panels which incorporatesnumerous advantages over the prior art. Perhaps the most importantadvantage deriving from the use of the invention involves the fact thatpanels formed in accordance therewith may be manufactured considerablymore economically than is possible utilizing prior art techniques.Another advantage deriving from the use of the invention involves thefact that decorative panels may be formed from either glass or plasticpanels. Other advantages deriving from the use of the invention willreadily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been illustratedin the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it will be understood that the present invention is notlimited to the embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerousrearrangements, substitutions, and modifications of parts and elementswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making decorative panelscomprising:forming a predetermined pattern in a screen by covering thescreen with a photosensitive emulsion, exposing the photosensitiveemulsion photographically and developing the exposed photosensitiveemulsion such that a portion of the screen corresponding to the image ofthe photograph will permit the passage of liquid therethrough;positioning the screen adjacent a panel with the pattern in the screenadjacent a surface of the panel; applying liquid elastomeric maskingmaterial to the surface of the panel through the screen and therebyapplying the liquid elastomeric material to the surface of the panel inaccordance with the pattern on the screen; curing the liquid elastomericmasking material on the surface of the panel and thereby forming asubstantially solid masking layer on the surface of the panel inaccordance with the predetermined pattern; impinging a high velocitystream of particulate material onto the surface of the panel having themasking layer thereon and thereby visually differentiating the unmaskedportion of the surface of the panel from the masked portions thereof;and subsequently removing the masking layer to provide a panel havingvisually differentiated areas corresponding to the previously masked andthe previously unmasked portions of the surface of the panel.
 2. Themethod of making decorative panels according to claim 2 furthercharacterized by repeating the liquid elastomeric masking materialapplying, curing, and particulate material impinging steps utilizing adifferent predetermined screen pattern and thereby forming a panelhaving a dual density pattern thereon.
 3. A method of making decorativepanels comprising:forming a predetermined pattern in a substantiallyliquid impervious screen to permit the passage of liquid through thepattern; positioning the screen adjacent a panel with the pattern in thescreen adjacent a surface of the panel; applying liquid elastomericmasking material to the surface of the panel through the screen andthereby applying the liquid elastomeric material to the surface of thepanel in accordance with the pattern on the screen; curing the liquidelastomeric masking material on the surface of the panel and therebyforming a substantially solid masking layer on the surface of the panelin accordance with the predetermined pattern; impinging a high velocitystream of particulate material onto the surface of the panel having themasking layer thereon and thereby visually differentiating the unmaskedportion of the surface of the panel from the masked portions thereof;and subsequently removing the masking layer to provide a panel havingvisually differentiated areas corresponding to the previously masked andthe previously unmasked portions of the surface of the panel.